Suction cleaner



Feb. 16, 1937. D. G. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 30, 1933INVENTOR Donald 6.5mellz'e ATTORNEY Patented, Feb. -16, 11937 PATENTorrlca 2,070,688 SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smollie, Canton, Ohio,aasignor' to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application December so, 1933-, Serial No. 704,622

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general. andparticularly to new and novel improvements inthe construction of thesuction cleaner nozzle.- More specifically the inventioncomprises theprovision of a suction cleaner nozzle having pile penetrating lips whichare tiltably'mounted and which are resiliently urged to a normalvertical position. 1

It is an object'of the present invention to provvide anew and improvedsuction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide a newand improved suction cleaner nozzle. A-still further object of theinvention is to provide a suction cleaner nozzle in which the lips arepile penetrating, are-pivotally'mounted, and are resiliently urged to anormal vertical position. These and other more specific objects willappear upon reading the following specification and claims and uponconsidering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which theyrelate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a partial cross-section through the cleaner nozzle showingthe lips constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the nozzle shown in Fig'ure 2;' f Figure 4is a cross section similar to Figure 2,

showinga second preferred embodiment of the cleaning function. In theoperation of the clean- 1 er, however, pile penetrating lips extend to arelatively great distance into the pile of the covering and increase theforce required to move thecleaner. This increase in force required isundesirable. In order to eliminate this undesirable force increase thepile penetrating lips of the cleaner, constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, are so mounted that they are permitted to tilt, beingresiliently urged to a normal vertical position. The tilting actionmakes easier the sliding action of. the lip or lips through thecovering, and the force required to move the "cleaner is correspondinglydecreased.

,In' the 'drawing a modern cleaner isshown. The

reference character 1 indicates the cleaner nozzle which is interiorlyconnected, as in the usual cleaner, to the fan chamber 2 which housesthe suction-creating fan 3 driven by an unshown motor positioned withinthe motor casing 4. I The 5 suction-creating fan 3 functions inthe'operation of the machine. to 'draw cleaning air through] the nozzlel and exhaust it, withthe dirt or foreign matter which is suspendedtherein, into the dust bag 5 which is removably attached to the exhaust10 outlet of the fan chamber. The cleaner is movably supported by meansof'front and rear wheels 6 and I, there being two of the former whichare spaced and which are movable vertically relative --to the machine bymeans of the manual adjust- 16 ing means 8 for the purpose of raisingand lower-' ing the nozzle I relative to the surface covering undergoingcleaning. As in the usual cleaner a pivoted handle 23 is provided-to theupper end of which the dust bag 5 is attached and supported 20 in theusual manner. The parts described in the foregoing paragraph comprisethe usual suction cleaner and no invention is claimed in their generalarrangement or combination except as hereinafter specified. 25

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 in particular a crosssection throughthe nozzle I discloses the lower end or mouth of the nozzle defined bythe front .and rear nozzle walls 9 and III. The mouth is seen to besurrounded by the usual furniture 30 guard H. The lower edges of thewalls 9 and iii are spacedat aconsiderable height above the'coveringundergoing cleaning and the surface-contacting front and rear lips, I!and l3'respectively,

are movably carried by the walls by means of 35 resilient strips I, ll.These strip members are preferably of rubber and normally hold the lipsvertically as shown in Figure 2. The upper ends into the covering pile."I'he frictional force of the covering on .the lips flexes the resilientstrips l4. l4 and pivots the lips-about the, line at which the stripsare secured to the nozzle, and the lips are tilted'rearwardly. When. thecleaner is moved in' the reverse direction, that is rearwardly, the lipsare tilted forwardly. The net result is aidecrease in the force requiredto move 55 mounted throughout its length and defining one the cleaner asthe lips slide through the pile of the covering more easily when tilted.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 a second preferred embodiment of theinvention is disclosed. In this embodiment the flexible strips whichsupported the lips in the first embodiment have been eliminated. Insteadlips l2 and-l3 are riveted upon shafts l6, it which are pivotallycarried by the nozzle end walls. Seals ll, II enclose the outer sides ofthe shafts l8, l6 sealing them to the nozzle walls. Removable plateelements l8, l8 of metal are secured to the nozzle walls by means ofscrews l9, I9 etc., and clamp the elements i I, I1 thereto. The nozzlelips are normally held in their vertical positions'by means of springarms 20, 20 which extend through two pins 2|, 2| carried on the innersides of the lips. Springs 20, 20, of which there may be a pair at eachend of the nozzle, are carried by the nozzle end walls on pins 22, 22.The operation of this embodiment of the invention is identical with thatfirst described. The movement of the cleaner over the surface coveringin the cleaner operation results in the pivotal movement of the lipsresulting in decreased force requirement for movement.

'mouth, a surface-contacting lip carried by said nozzle defining oneside of said mouth, the entire surface-contacting portion of said lipbeing movable horizontally and relative to. said nozzle mouth under theforce exerted by a surface covering thereagainst 'in the movement ofsaid I cleaner thereover. and means resiliently opposing movement ofsaid lip relative to said nozzle mouth with a lesser force than thefrictional force exerted by the surface covering in the operation of thecleaner. I

3. The construction recited by the preceding l claim characterized inthat said lip includes a metallic surface-contacting portion which ismounted relative to said nozzle by a resilient flexible strip. Y

4. The construction recited by the second preceding clsim' characterizedin that said lip is pivotally mounted relative to said nozzle and isspring-urged to a vertical position.

5. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a nozzle open to saidmeans and having a mouth, a surface-contacting pile penetrating lipdefining a side of said nozzle mouth adapted to extend into and betweenadjacent tufts of the pile of a surface covering undergoing cleaning inthe operation of the machine, said lip being mounted for tiltingmovement relative to the nozzle mouth, and means resiliently opposingthemovement of said lip from the vertical position with a force less thanthe pivoting force exerted thereon by the surface covering undergoingcleaning.

6. A suction cleaner including a nozzle and a nozzle lip thereondefining one side ofthe nozzle mouth, said nozzle lip being pivotallyand movably mounted, means resiliently. urging saidlip to a verticalposition, the pivotal axis being so positioned that said lip can assumea multiplicity of angular positions during its contact with a surfacecovering, said lip being pivotable by a force exerted thereon by asurface covering undergoing cleaning in the movement of said cleanerthereover.

"I. The construction recited in the preceding claim characterized inthat means are provided to resiliently hold said lip in its verticalposition.

8. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, rigid nozzle lips defining the sidesof the nozzle mouth, said lips being pivotally mounted relative to saidnozzle and adapted to. assume a multiplicity of angular positionsrelative thereto under a pivoting force exerted thereon by a surface.cov-

ering slipping thereunder, and resilient means urging said lips to avertical position.

9. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth, a tiltable lipdefining aside of said mouth under which cleaning air must pass inentering, said lip being tiltable about an axis above the plane ofsurface contact under the frictional force exerted by a contactingsurface covering in the movement of the nozzle thereover, and meansacting to yleldingly resist the tilting of said lip.

10.In a suction cleaner, a nozzle having a mouth, and a tiltable lipdefining a side of said mouth under. which cleaning air must pass inentering, said lip comprising a surface-contacting portion and aresilient flexible portion connecting and sealing saidsurface-contacting portion to the wall of the nozzle, said resilentflexible portion being sufficiently flexible to permit of flexing undera frictional force exerted by a surface covering undergoing cleaningagainst said surface-contacting portion.

of said lip under a'frictional force exerted by a surfacecoveringundergoing cleaning.

DONALD G. SMIELLIE.

